New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-22
STAGE DRESSING.
A LECTURE AT THE LYCEUM SCHOOL Of
ACTING.

A LECTURE AT THE LYCEUM SCHOOL oF
ACTING.
When the ordinary visitor to the Lyceum Iheatfe
stands at the head of the gallery STAIRS ana secs no
stage reduced BIZ perspective to micIo7ooP'U."JJ
small size he thinks he has got about as lar az
"a he can CO. lie is mistaken. In one co'net " w.
passaoe at the back OF the gallery is door anu "o
he To PASS through that and up flight oil almost per
pendicular stairs he would find himself III a iaiEa
room. This room extends along inc eh'i'H 49,.
the theatre building The side opposite t uo so
front is occupied by platform on when arc q, -
two or three pairs OF wings giving IL tne ,rri
a stage. Plain chairs and benches ale 'nc soie -
ture of the other norton of the save hat ie"
hangInss of sober tones disposed mere anu '"0'
while in one stand desk ana small
At this desk nay generally be iound aoout ,iu"y
a tall. slender young man whose dark mustache III
crsascs the annarcnt nallor of face lit up by largo
and rather melancholy eyes. Ihls Is ri"nh
Sargent. who is now at the head OF tue NC" I'm
School OF Acting, and this room Is tne WV Np
wherein the raw human material Is rousu'S ~ ~
the shape of actors and actresses TO DE al'el P
ished aud fitted for service Oh lno '"''" '"o0
throughout the country.
Recently the winter and spring session came " an
end and the pupils dsbanded, majority 10 join ci'nei
at oDca or in the near tuture certain oohp"i a.
travelling combinations the others 10 asseu''e VAN
the now recruits next October
visitor who found his way into tue scnool-'oo
the day before " school closed found about twenty
five pup pills sitting th chairs ana oeucucs 'Sns
the sage. On the stage a young man Wac '''.ui"e
and taking. He was giving the laSc Vi $50
practical lectures delivered during the season oy e1
maria and his talk was about Costume" lie begau
by telling story. II was about an Old gentleuian
who had bean accustomed to go TO Europe every year
with an old crony n travelling companion ono
year his friend died and was accordingly uhaoie u
come The old gentleman alter much thOuenl III
serted an advertisement asking any one VINO wlsheo 10
20 70 Europe under pleasant auspices TO apply 10 "m'
and giving his address. This advertisement was Sh
late one night by young man VINO had ueeh uiii,ns
freely He cogitated awhile and then tolu tue cruz
nortsr TO call a hanson. The cab was procured, ana
with little muscular exeruon on the part ol porter
o,d ,hhv tho Young man was etc we'd away IN lts re-
csssc. lie told the man drive to the address gwen
in tho advertisement Arrived there he was assis'eu
to the sidcwalk and with much dignity ordereu Tue
caby To pract.e the bell ana knooher OF lhe oiu
t,.b,oned residence The advertiser stuck his ven
erohle head ont of the window and alter paTley
conducted with explosive Indignation from tue wlndo"
and unruled assurance from tue slde"ah tue a"eo"s
c,me down and unboltcd the door, "heh lie nau
iclo1 nm the diner and stood hun in corner the ioI"
lowing conversation took place; Now sr' wha' 40
Won mean by waking mo up at this honr - Come
:, osLer ,vert.hnent" swell, sir this Is no time to
ma an such an errand. What have you to say T.
i've come to tell you. Very sorry. Can't go Win
you." ,,.,,o .oi so,d tbe lccturer was
that ne had been asked TO give lecture on stage
costume and had come to tell them he cOud not 90 It,
The subject in the time at bs disposal eou'u noIey
- i,ncoJ az and therefore in place OF a lecture he
wouId substitute rather rambling tax ne "enI on
90 vo rauid review Of the history OF costume trae
inc II from the chlamys, pauin OF tosa ana talatlS
or palmlta OF classic tmes passing ny tlie
ton of the braes sarahara, the earliest form
trousers TO the present culaway coat ana o"IeuiiI
creased trousers. lie divide costume so lar IS tuo
800 "a .erned practically into four periods inc
classic. Including Greek as well "a Roman the
medieval; the eighteenth century, ic.uulnS anu ,ba
irN
moJsro The Grst, rOu5 hly speannA, gave Oppor-
tuuity tor the display OF grace the second oil Petur
esauenoss the third OF qlalutaesS ana tlo i'st ~
good taste. These are some VI '"O '"iio' ~ S
aiterward: t,, -. Tho o,oss;o
robes only the material must be woolen ana NOT SIX
nv cranc which is too often used Frank Millct has
shown what can be done with stage costume III h's
mastery treatment OF Mary Anderson's 'Galatea
dresses lie used soft wooleh goods Sa'hinS '"o
crinkly effect by dampenlng them ,,.,,..
-" The inventor OF buckram should be pnohcy uIs-
honored lhe corset III all its forms destroys not 0nly
h.,lth hut beauty The stage should SET the lasnloh
~ ,r,d ,aiIv abandoning it's use. With its introduce
H,n the poetry OF the cnnine form vas turned into
nro.e Bernhardt understands this and poses untram
melted by watchSpIinss or whalchone
Stage costume should always mean something anu
hello TO cucidate the character OF the wearcr lhNro
IA as much eject produced on an audience 3y ihe
,niserIv nrqardness displayed IN Ierkln Laced win
tvino as by tho lined tace or cIOaly voice OIL the
wcarcr Take Bcruhardt again. DO you renen tsr
the suggestion OF the reptuc III her s'ec'oS III 'ho
second act OF Theodore 7 -
when Lemaire created Robert Macare' tor all
me ne created his tattercd coat his nger!ess gloves
and his opless boots as positively as MS s"assr anu
Historical accuracy should not have the only place
In costume designing tor stage purposes. Realism IN
costume mnst be tempered Win ldcalIsu anu u "iso
| ex,peeraton or sOiteuing as IN acting. go ,
III the choice OF your costume rests with yourseI
remainder YOU arc only part OF picture. Let The
coors narmouzo with their surroundlnEs as well as
with themselves. This applies to modern as we'll as
! historical costumes. - U,u
| Beware OF the ordinary costumer' lie is usually
| IN he is prince among his fellows Beyond thus ex-
meet nothing OF him but conventionallty and bar
| barous coloIlng"